Cuba and Cuba/American relations are in a state of flux, as leadership changes and the decades-long embargo begins to soften. Randy Wayne White's Florida biologist (and former / occasional black ops specialist) Marion Ford is a natural protagonsit to explore some of the nuances of these changes, and the author delivers. (He tosses the current status of Russia and the Russian / Cuban relationship into the mix, as well.)
White's usual 1st person narration is abandoned for a 3rd person viewpoint, allowing for scenes featuring characters other than Doc Ford. He does manage to infuse the text with a flavor for the characters in the particular scene, whether it is our protagonist, his sidekick, Tomlinson, or one of the supporting characters or villains of the piece. (Be warned; it isn't quite clear until the end of the story which side of that line certain characters fall.) Toss in a revolutionary general with a love of baseball (no, not Fidel; neither he nor his brother make a direct appearance but their influence is certainly felt) and a possible defector shortstop with a temper to add flavor to the mix.
Regular readers of Randy Wayne White's 21 previous Doc Ford novels had a preconceived notion as to what to expect from the author and the series and it delivers. New readers do not need to have read any of the prior novels in this series to enjoy this book but it may help. (Certain nuances of our main characters are not fully explained, based on an assumed prior knowledge on the part of the reader.)
RATING: A solid 4.
DISCLOSURE: I received this book free of charge from the publisher without obligation, although I'm sure that a fair and unbiased review would be appreciated.
White's usual 1st person narration is abandoned for a 3rd person viewpoint, allowing for scenes featuring characters other than Doc Ford. He does manage to infuse the text with a flavor for the characters in the particular scene, whether it is our protagonist, his sidekick, Tomlinson, or one of the supporting characters or villains of the piece. (Be warned; it isn't quite clear until the end of the story which side of that line certain characters fall.) Toss in a revolutionary general with a love of baseball (no, not Fidel; neither he nor his brother make a direct appearance but their influence is certainly felt) and a possible defector shortstop with a temper to add flavor to the mix.
Regular readers of Randy Wayne White's 21 previous Doc Ford novels had a preconceived notion as to what to expect from the author and the series and it delivers. New readers do not need to have read any of the prior novels in this series to enjoy this book but it may help. (Certain nuances of our main characters are not fully explained, based on an assumed prior knowledge on the part of the reader.)
RATING: A solid 4.
DISCLOSURE: I received this book free of charge from the publisher without obligation, although I'm sure that a fair and unbiased review would be appreciated.
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